> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ona.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Development environments

> Isolated development workspaces for humans and agents.

Ona environments are isolated development workspaces for humans and agents. Each environment combines compute, storage, your repository, and your development tooling into a reproducible setup.

## Key concepts

* **[Projects](/ona/create-first-project)**: connect a repository to Ona with shared configuration, access controls, and secrets.
* **Environments**: running workspaces for development, review, debugging, or focused tasks.
* **[Agents](/ona/agents/overview)**: work inside environments with the same tools a developer would use.
* **[Automations](/ona/automations/overview)**: create environments on triggers like PRs, schedules, or webhooks.

## What's inside an environment

| Component        | Description                                                                                                            |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Compute          | From [Ona Cloud](/ona/runners/ona-cloud) or your own [runner](/ona/runners/overview)                                   |
| Dev Container    | Image, tools, extensions, and workspace setup. See [Container configuration](/ona/configuration/devcontainer/overview) |
| Tasks & services | Databases, servers, watchers. See [Startup tasks & services](/ona/configuration/tasks-and-services/overview)           |
| Dotfiles         | Personal shell and editor customization. See [Dotfiles](/ona/configuration/dotfiles/overview)                          |
| Editor access    | Browser, VS Code, Cursor, JetBrains, CLI, or SSH. See [Editors](/ona/editors/overview)                                 |

## Lifecycle

* **Create**: start an environment from a project — choose a branch and environment class.
* **Provision**: Ona sets up compute, starts your Dev Container, and runs setup hooks.
* **Work**: you or an agent connect and start developing.
* **Stop**: storage persists so you can resume later.
* **Archive**: after inactivity, Ona [archives and can auto-delete](/ona/environments/archive-auto-delete) the environment.

## Storage and isolation

Environments are isolated from each other. Storage persists across stops and starts of the same environment. Creating a new environment starts fresh from the project configuration and any available prebuild.

See [Persistent storage](/ona/environments/persistent-storage) for what survives Dev Container rebuilds and how prebuilds interact with storage. To share a running service, use [port sharing](/ona/integrations/ports).

## Faster starts

[Prebuilds](/ona/projects/prebuilds) snapshot your Dev Container setup so new environments skip slow installation steps. On supported AWS runners, [warm pools](/ona/projects/warm-pools) keep pre-initialized instances ready.

## Configuration

* **[Container configuration](/ona/configuration/devcontainer/overview)**: image, tools, mounts, editor customizations
* **[Startup tasks & services](/ona/configuration/tasks-and-services/overview)**: long-running processes and one-off tasks
* **[Dotfiles](/ona/configuration/dotfiles/overview)**: personal shell and editor setup
* **[Multi-repository environments](/ona/configuration/multi-repository)**: work across multiple repos

New to Ona? Start with [Set up your first environment](/ona/configuration/devcontainer/getting-started).